We review vendors based on rigorous testing and research but also take into account your feedback and our affiliate commission with providers. Some providers are owned by our parent company.
Learn more
vpnMentor was established in 2014 to review VPN services and cover privacy-related stories. Today, our team of hundreds of cybersecurity researchers, writers, and editors continues to help readers fight for their online freedom in partnership with Kape Technologies PLC, which also owns the following products: ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize professional and honest examination of the reviewer, taking into account the technical capabilities and qualities of the product together with its commercial value for users. The rankings and reviews we publish may also take into consideration the common ownership mentioned above, and affiliate commissions we earn for purchases through links on our website. We do not review all VPN providers and information is believed to be accurate as of the date of each article.
Advertising Disclosure

vpnMentor was established in 2014 to review VPN services and cover privacy-related stories. Today, our team of hundreds of cybersecurity researchers, writers, and editors continues to help readers fight for their online freedom in partnership with Kape Technologies PLC, which also owns the following products: ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize professional and honest examination of the reviewer, taking into account the technical capabilities and qualities of the product together with its commercial value for users. The rankings and reviews we publish may also take into consideration the common ownership mentioned above, and affiliate commissions we earn for purchases through links on our website. We do not review all VPN providers and information is believed to be accurate as of the date of each article.

ExpressVPN vs Lantern 2024

Table of Contents
    Our Score: 9.9/10
    %s User Reviews
    More Info
    Our Score: 8.3/10
    %s User Reviews
    More Info
    Editors' Note: Intego, Private Internet Access, Cyberghost and Expressvpn are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company.

    Which VPN is better?

    Author Image Anneke van Aswegen
    Anneke van Aswegen

    Managing Editor

    ExpressVPN and Lantern are two very different services. Normally, I would recommend choosing the one that best suits your needs. In this case, though, I think there's a clear winner.

    Firstly, Lantern is a proxy service, not a VPN. That means it's designed to help you geospoof your IP address and unblock websites, but it doesn't give you any security measures.

    In comparison, ExpressVPN gives you high-level security and privacy protections. It uses military-grade encryption, secure tunneling protocols, a kill switch, leak protection, and more.

    Lantern is also meant to be faster, since it doesn't encrypt your traffic. It did perform well in my speed tests, but ExpressVPN matched Lantern on speed while giving me additional protection at the same time.

    As for streaming, Lantern doesn't even live up to its unblocking claims anyway. Its whole purpose is to help you bypass geo-restrictions but it couldn't unblock any of the streaming sites I tested apart from Kodi and YouTube. ExpressVPN, on the other hand, can unblock Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and more.

    That's because the proxy doesn't let you choose which server to connect to. It isn't even clear on how many servers it offers. Meanwhile, ExpressVPN gives you access to 3,000 servers in 105 countries.

    Read on for my full assessment of both VPNs and how they compare in other areas like device compatibility.

    Our Score

    Features 9.9/10
    Pricing 9.4/10
    Ease of Use 10.0/10
    Reliability & Support 10.0/10
    Features 8.3/10
    Pricing 9.0/10
    Ease of Use 8.4/10
    Reliability & Support 7.8/10

    Reviews

    Review by our expert
    Author Image Keira Waddell
    Keira Waddell

    Senior Writer

    Our Score: 9.9/10

    ExpressVPN is one of the most popular and trusted names in the industry. It’s known for being one of the safest, fastest VPNs around, so I wanted to see if it can live up to these claims. It’s not the cheapest VPN, but it often offers discounts that make it a better value for the money. Other decent VPNs offer similar security features for much cheaper. So, do you really need to pay that muc...

    Read all
    Latest positive user review
    J
    JKJHB
    8.0/10
    jhJ JJ

    I've been an ExpressVPN customer since 2017 and it's been great: quickly connects to a nearby server i... n the Wash DC region, embedded shortcuts to apps I want to use while using VPN, disconnects quickly, has the kill switch feature which is necessary these days, and has a fine mobile app which works well on my Android phones and tablets. However, I was just notified that the annual price is jumping from $99 to $117 upon the next renewal, so it's time to see how the others compare within VPN Mentor.More

    Latest negative user review
    C
    Charli
    6.0/10
    Ok, but expensive

    Seems ok, but I wouldn't say it's worth $20AUD a month. That's steep if you live in a backwater like A... ustralia, where the currency is not valuable. Easy enough to set up - you don't need to be Einstein - but unless you're a tech nerd who can take a look under the bonnet, you'll just have to trust what they say about their product. It frequently drops out without the slightest warning, often when it's the only thing online at the time - despite fast and flawless fiber internet, rendering expression entirely useless UNLESS you have it sitting on your desktop where you can keep an eagle eye on it to actually see it when it drops out so you can kick it back into service again (it doesn't do it by itself), which seems to defeat its purpose, so I'm taking away 2 stars for that. Support is good and they do get back to you as fast as they can.More

    Read the full review
    Review by our expert
    Author Image Kristina Perunicic
    Kristina Perunicic

    Managing Editor

    Our Score: 8.3/10

    Lantern tells you from the start that it isn’t a VPN. It's an open-source proxy that claims to gives access to geoblocked sites, while routing all your other activity through your local IP address. Does this sound less than appealing? Well, Lantern actually claims it's better and faster than a VPN altogether. Can it be true? I conducted a full review of Lantern to see what it really offers....

    Read all
    Latest positive user review
    A
    Alice Woodstock
    8.0/10
    Serves to it's purpure

    It works very well when you behind a firewall that blocks VPN, actually is the only one that worked on...  Linux for me. Although it doesn't work on streaming sites, it works to access Geforce Now in Brasil.More

    Latest negative user review
    A
    Ana
    4.0/10
    Do not recommend

    It rarely works. And it doesn't work if you'd like to watch Netflix contents that are available in oth... er countries. Also, it doesn't have a price advantage. You can find a better one. I have subscribed Lantern for 2 years and become much more disappointed. The connection and the service get much worse.More

    Read the full review

    Pricing

    Starting price $6.67/month
    Money Back Guarantee (Days) 30 Days
    Number of devices per license 8 devices
    Starting price $3.62/month
    Money Back Guarantee (Days) 0 Days
    Number of devices per license 3 devices

    Best VPN by Category

    Best VPN Overall

    ExpressVPN is better because it has outstanding speeds and unblocking capabilities. Although Lantern has fast servers that would be excellent for streaming, it failed to unblock all of the streaming platforms I attempted to access. ExpressVPN’s security and privacy features are excellent, while Lantern doesn't give you any at all. ExpressVPN’s high scores in every area of testing mean it’s the winner by far.

    Best VPN for Torrents

    ExpressVPN is better because it has P2P support on all servers, coupled with an airtight privacy policy. It's also super-fast, for smooth downloads and uploads. Lantern is P2P-friendly, but it does keep logs and has no security or privacy measures so I can’t recommend it for safe torrenting.

    Best VPN for Windows

    ExpressVPN is better because it has a native Windows app with strong encryption, a kill switch, and even a split tunneling feature. This lets you choose which Windows apps use the VPN and which don't. Lantern's Windows app doesn't even let you choose your server, and has no additional security features.

    Best VPN for Android

    ExpressVPN is better because the Android app is easy-to-use on all of your Android devices (including Samsung Galaxy, Nokia, Huawei, Nvidia Shield, and more). The Android app also supports split tunneling and is protected by a kill switch.

    Best VPN for Mac

    ExpressVPN is better for macOS because its app is secure and easy to use. It's compatible with every macOS from Monterey to High Sierra, and keeps your MacBook protected with an automatic kill switch.

    Best VPN for iOS

    ExpressVPN is better because its iOS app is easy to install and works with every iPhone and iPad (including Pro, Air, and Mini). The app is missing some features available on other platforms like a kill switch and split tunneling. However, it's still better than Lantern's iOS app which gives you no protection.

    Best VPN for USA

    ExpressVPN is better because it has a huge network of 30+ US servers that can access all of the major American streaming platforms, with speeds for 4K viewing. Lantern can't unblock any US streaming sites and it doesn't let you manually choose your server location.

    The Bottom Line

    See Plans & Pricing

    ExpressVPN offers amazing speeds, a vast global server network, top security, and easy-to-use apps. It also has a 24/7 customer support team and 8 device connections.

    Lantern has good speeds, but it can’t compete against ExpressVPN. Its lack of security features, unblocking abilities, and servers leave it trailing behind. Even worse, Lantern logs everything you do online, making it extremely unsafe to use.

    Don't be fooled by Lantern's prices; ExpressVPN is a much safer bet. You can even try ExpressVPN risk-free as it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Simply get a full refund if you're unhappy.

    Time to decide which one is best for you

    Go with ExpressVPN
    Go with Lantern
    Or click here to check best VPNs, rated by {{review_count}} users

    FAQ

    Is ExpressVPN better than Lantern?

    Yes, ExpressVPN is better overall than Lantern. It has 3000 servers in 105 countries, fast speeds, and impressive security features.

    Best of all, you can take advantage of its latest discount and get it for only $6.67 a month.

    What should I keep in mind when choosing between ExpressVPN and Lantern?

    When choosing a VPN, you want to pay close attention to its number of servers, overall speed score, pricing, and the number of simultaneous device connections it offers. While some VPNs provide a flawless online experience, others will really slow you down.

    If you’re ready to commit, then ExpressVPN may be perfect for you due to its performance during the tests .

    Is ExpressVPN faster than Lantern?

    Yes, ExpressVPN is faster than Lantern. Since your VPN is your computer’s main connection to the internet, you need to use a service that won’t slow you down by more than 20%.

    If speeds are important to you, then I recommend you take a look at ExpressVPN. It’s the fastest service out there, provides unlimited bandwidth, and you won’t experience any slowdowns even when you connect to the other side of the planet. You can try it out risk-free. It’s backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can get a full refund if you don’t like it.

    Do ExpressVPN or Lantern offer any deals?

    Both ExpressVPN and Lantern offer deals on occasion. You can check out the current coupons and discounts here. However, ExpressVPN has the best deals. Right now, you can get a 49% discount and up to 3 months for free with a new subscription.

    We review vendors based on rigorous testing and research but also take into account your feedback and our affiliate commission with providers. Some providers are owned by our parent company.
    Learn more
    vpnMentor was established in 2014 to review VPN services and cover privacy-related stories. Today, our team of hundreds of cybersecurity researchers, writers, and editors continues to help readers fight for their online freedom in partnership with Kape Technologies PLC, which also owns the following products: ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize professional and honest examination of the reviewer, taking into account the technical capabilities and qualities of the product together with its commercial value for users. The rankings and reviews we publish may also take into consideration the common ownership mentioned above, and affiliate commissions we earn for purchases through links on our website. We do not review all VPN providers and information is believed to be accurate as of the date of each article.

    About the Author

    As a Managing Editor at vpnMentor, Anneke van Aswegen helps readers quickly master VPNs. She aims to solve problems, whether accessing streaming platforms or protecting your data, without needing a computer tech.